Last week we announced that chef and sustainability advocate Michel Nischan will receive our 2015 Humanitarian of the Year award. Right on the heels of this news, the New York Times profiled Nischan in this past weekend's "Download" column. Michel shared tidbits about his choice reads (one of his favorite books is James Beard's Beard on Bread), most cherished kitchen tools, and love of pétanque, the French analog of bocce ball. Read the full piece here.

WHAT? The satsuma citrus fruit originated in sixteenth-century Japan, in a province that was once of the same name. The fruit hopscotched to England and Italy a few centuries later, followed by a leap to New Orleans, where it would eventually grow into a respectable crop in the nearby coastal parish of Plaquemines. (Japan still boasts the largest satsuma industry in the world.) A member of the mandarin family, the satsuma rarely contains pesky seeds, and can survive temperatures as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit, with Louisiana farmers favoring the Owari cultivar for its especially hardy character. Ready for picking in October and still on branches beyond December, satsumas are a popular holiday fruit throughout the South. Cajun cooks add segments to salads, reduce juices for glazing seafood and sweets, and even slip the fruit into the occasional gumbo pot. The satsuma’s peel detaches easily from its fle... Read more >

At the Beard House, 2015 arrived full of promise, bringing us delicious, thought-provoking flavors from Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Kansas City, Missouri. Here are our editors' favorite dishes from January.

Layers of umami-packed, freshly shaved black truffles? Check. Luxurious egg yolk? Trendy grain with an ancient pedigree? Perfect balance of texture and flavor? Check, check, and check. Just one look at the menu description of this beaut... Read more >

Roasting is our go-to cooking method during the colder months. A hot oven, a generous pour of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt is all you need to produce simple but spectacular dishes. But with a little bit of finesse, the technique can also yield sophisticated results, as in the following recipes:

A jilted John Lee Hooker comforted himself with “one bourbon, one scotch, one beer.” Those wanting a more efficient consolation should seek out this marvelous cocktail by mixologist Jamie Boudreau from Seattle's acclaimed Canon. “It came about as John Lee Hooker's song came on the sound system. It made me realize that I hadn't heard of or seen a cocktail with bourbon, scotch and beer as ingredients, so I set about to make one. Surprisingly it became very popular.” Can't make it to the Pacific Northwest? Don't fret: we've got the recipe right here.